After his previous trial ended in a mistrial, today a jury found Lee Woods guilty of murder for the 2007 killing a police officer. Woods and two friends, Dexter Bostic and Robert Ellis were in a stolen car when Officers Russel Timoshenko and Herman Yan pulled them over; both cops were shot and Timoshenko died from his injuries. The three defendants were tried at the same time, but with different juries: Ellis was acquitted of murder (his jury believed he was the driver and not a shooter), outraging Timoshenko's family and the NYPD, while Bostic was found guilty and Woods' trial ended in mistrial when a juror had health problems. In Woods' second trial, his lawyer argued his client was the driver. Timoshenko's parents were thankful for the verdict.
Second Trial Brings Guilty Verdict For Cop Killing Suspect
Acquitted Cop Killer Gets 15 Years For Gun Charges
Yesterday, a judge sentenced Robert Ellis, who was acquitted last month in the 2007 murder of police officer Russel Timoshenko, to 15 years for weapons possession. Timoshenko was fatally shot when he and his partner stopped Ellis and two other men in a stolen car; jury did find Ellis guilty of the lesser weapons charge, while another jury found his friend Dexter Bostic guilty of murder and a mistral was called for third suspect Lee Woods. Timoshenko's mother had asked the judge to impose a 45-year sentence, noting, "For me and my family, only the death penalty would be justice for Russel. Unfortunately for me, the death penalty is not an option.
Jurors Talk About Police Killing Trials
Yesterday, juries in two separate cop killing cases came back with news that left the victims' families upset: Lee Woods, on trial for killing police officer Russel Timoshenko during a traffic stop, was granted a mistrial because one juror was ill while Lillo Brancato Jr., on trial for killing off-duty police officer Daniel Enchautegui, was found not guilty of murder.
Mistrial for Third Cop-Killing Suspect
The third trial for the men accused of killing police officer Russel Timoshenko has ended in mistrial. According to the NY Post, "a female juror, who had reported health palpitations and high blood pressure on Friday morning, said that she was unable to resume deliberations until she underwent more tests."
Jury Acquits Suspect in Cop Killing; Two Other Suspects Await Their Verdicts
A jury acquitted a man of aggravated murder in the killing a police officer during a June 2007 traffic stop. The jury also found Robert Ellis not guilty of attempted murder (another cop was wounded) but he was found guilty on three counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
Rikers Guard's Relationship with Suspected Cop Killer Under Investigation
took him to the shower room for no apparent reason. The Post reports she is being investigated for "undue familiarity" with Woods.
Rikers Guard Accused of Abetting Escape Attempt
A Rikers Island corrections officer is being investigated for possibly helping an accused cop killer try to escape from custody. The unidentified guard may have passed a handcuff key to Lee Woods, one of the men accused of gunning down Officer Russel Timoshenko a year ago during a traffic stop. The key was discovered in Woods' digestive tract when he was passed through a metal detector at the jail.

